Br-Aiken 2, electric boogaloo

[DoctorV]

How are Porkys shoveling skills?

[PGsHeroes32]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=kEG8-YYMPEM

Around the -30.00 mark.

Goodman calls JFL maybe the most underrated player in the country.

Sean Miller very complimentary of Shaka and MU as a school/program in general. Props to the fanbase and everything.

More good pub.

[JakeBarnes]

Another acceptable thread title:

Seton faLLs

[Oldgym]

I'm not sure where this goes, but was perusing Twitter and Louisville fans are already throwing around Shaka's name as Mack's replacement.

What an absolutely delusional fan base.

Chris Beard too.

[1SE]

This is a prime opportunity to really have any shot at the Big East Title.  You want the opportunity to beat a team and put yourself in the position to win.  It is not cool waiting to see if 2-3 other teams can knock them off.

Exactly - we shouldn't be afraid of playing any team in the country right now, and certainly not in the conference - especially one we already seal clubbed. We're not likely to do that again - and it will be a tough game - but if you want to win Championships you have to play tough games.

It's still a long shot, but I cannot believe we're sitting here at the end of January and talking about a BE regular season title isn't a complete pipe dream.

[The Sultan]

I'm focused Solely on the top 25. Seven lost team won't be ranked.

You want to duck the BE leader to stay ranked?  Losers mentality.

[Goose]

I want to play Providence and beat them again on Saturday. Disappointed that they did not stay out on the east coast.

[The Sultan]

I want to play UCLA again to see how far we have come.

[connie]

Awesome summary.  Hard for me to tell if this record is the result of individuals improving, the team being better than it's parts, or a bit of both.  It's been so, so long since we have seen either, and I am really enjoying this team.

[StillAWarrior]

...and it's one win closer to winning the Big East title.

It's absolutely remarkable that a Big East title is not a complete pipe dream at this point. An uphill climb, sure...but not entirely unrealistic.

Just like it's time to recalibrate our thoughts on, "what's our record over the next six games?", it's time to rethink what this team might be able to accomplish this season.

[MU82]

As a Marquette fan, one who is confident that our heroes will kick The Provi's arses again, I really want there to be a game Saturday.

However, the single most important thing is the safety of our athletes and coaches. If that means not playing in the northeast U.S., where a major storm is forming, I hope they don't play.

[pbiflyer]

My (now accepted to Marquette) daughter found this from last night's game. Oops!

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

They fly home it might be a postponed game Saturday. I want to keep things rolling.

18" forecasted for Southern New England.

[Viper]

This team is on such a roll I'm actually not even worried about losing on Saturday and Providence is 17-2, 12-1 in their last 13 with the 32 point loss in Milwaukee as the only blemish.

I actually think Marquette just has the better players and the better team.

Not sure what this feeling is or where it's come from but please don't wake me up.

i want another W over Providence. Last night our starting backcourt shoots 4-18, GE takes just one shot, and still a road win. No reason winning doesn't keep on keepin' on this weekend.

[Goose]

Viper

The key to this team, aside from defense, is it is a team victory every single night. We play so many guys and they all contribute which makes a down night by 2-3 guys easy to overcome. Again, defense hides a lot of sins, and this is still a program just getting on their feet. I have complete confidence that if they keep playing defense at a high level that we are going to be a tough out for ANY team we play.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Viper

The key to this team, aside from defense, is it is a team victory every single night. We play so many guys and they all contribute which makes a down night by 2-3 guys easy to overcome. Again, defense hides a lot of sins, and this is still a program just getting on their feet. I have complete confidence that if they keep playing defense at a high level that we are going to be a tough out for ANY team we play.

Shaka's rotations have been a thing of beauty. I'd like to pick a nit or two, but literally can't. He has an uncanny ability to insert the right players at the right time, whether that is flexing Oso and Kur, inserting Stevie to be a pest, or pressuring with OMax and Kam.

I would now like a daily update from Wes Matthews on what he is making Mamu do as a result of smacking the Hall around a second time. Hope there are a least a picture or two of Mamu in head-to-toe MU gear.

BTW, what the hell did Wes teach the team when he worked with them right before the win streak?? Anyone have insight?

[The Sultan]

This team is so mentally tough.  It starts with the head coach, but IMO the two senior transfers have set the stage. They don't panic.  They stay tough.  And that has filtered down to the rest of the team.  Shaka has no problem putting freshmen in pressure situations.

Anyone else notice that when Osa subbed in for Kur early, that he clearly struggled matching the physicality and intensity of the game?  Shaka pulled him real quick and pulled him over to talk to him.  But when Kur got in foul trouble late, Osa performed very well considering who he was guarding.

[Scoop Snoop]

Viper

The key to this team, aside from defense, is it is a team victory every single night. We play so many guys and they all contribute which makes a down night by 2-3 guys easy to overcome. Again, defense hides a lot of sins, and this is still a program just getting on their feet. I have complete confidence that if they keep playing defense at a high level that we are going to be a tough out for ANY team we play.

Agree on all points. And with playing so many guys, our opponents are more gassed than any of our guys near the end of the game. Freemantle looked really gassed at the FT line at the end of the X game, and I seriously doubt he was the only Pirate who was gassed.

[Goose]

Fluff

The quick hook on Osa was the right call and he delivered when back in the game. Actually, I thought he stepped up his D the remainder of the game and that shows character. The HC has created a culture of winning in 21 games and it is a remarkable feat. I am not celebrating anything other than knowing that our program is in the best hands it has been in for decades. This season is just getting started and a lot of work yet to be done, but they will not play a mentally tougher team the rest of the way.

[PGsHeroes32]

Shaka's rotations have been a thing of beauty. I'd like to pick a nit or two, but literally can't. He has an uncanny ability to insert the right players at the right time, whether that is flexing Oso and Kur, inserting Stevie to be a pest, or pressuring with OMax and Kam.

Yeah he really has an idea when to use guys.

Stevie was excellent against X. Pretty sure he didnt even enter the SHU game until around 7 minutes left in the first half. Things were rolling along well and there was a long stretch of no whistle that even delayed getting Kam/Greg in.

Sometimes guys gotta wait their turn a bit, but always seems to work well

[Miss Katie’s]

7 game winning streak A+, thread title A+

[tower912]

Thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=654u2wVGeMU

SH press conference.    Since apparently Shaka did not do one, this is a good perspective.

[dgies9156]

When the season started, I was optimistic (I always am) for our Warriors. I thought that Kur Kuath and Darryl Morsell wouldn't be coming here if we really were a ninth place Big East team. At the Chicago luncheon, I never once heard Coach Shaka use the term "rebuild." In listening to him and perhaps reading between the lines, he thought we had a team that probably could make run at getting into the NCAA.

That alone would have been a small miracle after the last seven years and after losing the core of last year's team. My enthusiasm was tempered only by the track record since the Cowboy's last year at Marquette -- just not good!

The Seton Hall games, the improbable victory over Villanova, Illinois, West Virginia etc., and the wipe-out of Providence is telling -- not only are we for real, we're for real now. The change in Justin Lewis -- from an after-thought last year to a candidate for Big East Player of the Year -- is indicative of the type of coach we have. The character our guys are showing, the way they pass the ball, the defense is amazing. The joy we see on the court and the fight, win or lose, is infectious. We haven't had anything like this since the Final Four run.

As the word gets out, I can only imagine what the upside will be. Our recruiting will be off the charts good if this keeps up!

Marquette Basketball -- It's FUN again!!!!!!

[connie]

This team is so mentally tough.  It starts with the head coach, but IMO the two senior transfers have set the stage. They don't panic.  They stay tough.  And that has filtered down to the rest of the team.  Shaka has no problem putting freshmen in pressure situations.

Anyone else notice that when Osa subbed in for Kur early, that he clearly struggled matching the physicality and intensity of the game?  Shaka pulled him real quick and pulled him over to talk to him.  But when Kur got in foul trouble late, Osa performed very well considering who he was guarding.

I did notice this--and it is great to see.  The team listens and responds.  dgies is right--they are just fun to watch again!

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

At the Chicago luncheon, I never once heard Coach Shaka use the term "rebuild." In listening to him and perhaps reading between the lines, he thought we had a team that probably could make run at getting into the NCAA.

He gave the Milwaukee crowd a very different message. Couldn't mention youth and process enough times.  What he's done has been incredible